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Saturday, May 17, 2014

"Dialogue and
understanding are the best way to resolve the crisis," al-Sisi said in an
interview with the state-run Al-Ahram daily on Saturday.

"This is better than
going into a dispute or an enmity with anyone," he added.

The former army chief, who
led the army to unseat elected president Mohamed Morsi last July, said that he
is ready to visit Ethiopia "if this serves Egypt's interests".

"I will not hesitate
in making any effort for my country and its water rights, which is a
life-or-death issue," he added Relations between Cairo and Addis Ababa
soured last year over Ethiopia's plans to build a $6.4-billion hydroelectric
dam on the Blue Nile, which represents Egypt's primary water source.

. The project has raised
alarm bells in Egypt, which fears a reduction of its historical share of Nile
water. Water distribution among Nile basin states has long been regulated by a
colonial-era treaty giving Egypt and Sudan the lion's share of river water.
Ethiopia, for its part, says it has never recognized the treaty. Source (World Bulletin/News Desk).